C4 Vertebra, Lateral View

Description

Seen in lateral profile, the fourth cervical vertebra (C4) sits between C3 superiorly and C5 inferiorly, with the vertebral body anterior and the spinous process projecting posteriorly. The pedicles bridge from the posterolateral body to the laminae, and the superior and inferior articular processes form the zygapophysial joints, sloping to permit flexion and extension in the mid cervical spine. Lateral to the pedicle, the transverse process contains the transverse foramen (foramen transversarium), positioned anterior to the articular pillar and aligned for the vertebral artery’s course through the cervical transverse foramina. Small but readable landmarks include the superior and inferior vertebral notches, which contribute to the intervertebral foramina for the C4 spinal nerve. This lateral view is the workhorse angle for correlating bony anatomy with sagittal alignment and the normal cervical lordosis, and it clarifies how the pedicle and transverse foramen relate to the neurovascular corridor. Surgeons planning an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion at C3–C5, or a lateral mass screw construct, rely on the articular pillar and pedicle relationships, while radiologists evaluating foraminal stenosis or degenerative spondylosis reference the same borders on oblique radiographs and CT reconstructions. A tight space. Use it in gross anatomy and osteology labs when teaching region specific vertebral identification, and in spine surgery or neuroradiology texts to anchor discussions of cervical approach corridors, vertebral artery vulnerability, and segmental level localization. It also suits patient education materials explaining mid neck pain generators such as uncovertebral and facet arthropathy at C4–C5. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.